Paulo Freire on Community

PauloFreire’sIdeasandCommunityPsychology Leadership

KurniawanDwiMadyoUtomo(B)

STFTWidyaSasana,Malang,Indonesia fxiwancm@gmail.com

Abstract. Comunitiesmustexplorealternativeleadershipideologiestomake meaningfulacademicandsocialimprovementsinthesociety.Thisresearchaims toexplorePauloFreire’scriticalideologythatcanbeusedtoexpandtheconceptualizationsofeducationalleadershipandfacilitatepracticalresponsestomultitudes ofeducationalandsocialdilemmasinthesociety.Theresearchmethodisalibrary study.ThisresearchfoundthatPauloFreire’spedagogyoftheoppressedisnotonly relatedtoschoolsettings,butalsoitcanworkinothersettings(e.g.neighborhood, mosqueorchurchcommunity,communitycenters,etc.)andcanbemanifested bycommunitypsychologistswhohaveawarenessandfaithintheircommunities. Communitypsychologistsshouldengageinpeople’sdifficulties.Freireemphasizestheimportanceofdialogue.Inthisdialoguecommunitypsychologistsmust havefaithinthecapabilitiesoftheoppressedtorecognizeandoppressivesystems andstructuresthathaveaffectedtheirlives.Communitypsychologistsandthe oppressedshouldpayattentionontheimportanceofthesenseofcollectiveefficacyforconstructivechanges.Asaresult,theywillbeabletobuildafoundation forwellnessintheircommunity.

Keywords: Commnitypsychology · Leadership · PauloFreire · Solidarity

1Introduction

PauloFreirewasbornintoamiddle-classfamilyinRecife,capitaloftheBrazilian StateofPernambuco,on19September1921.Theexperiencesofhisfamilyduringthe GreatDepression,whichstartedin1929,influencedhisconcernaboutthepoorand hisperspectiveoneducation.Ingraduateschoolhebegantoexploretheconnections betweenpovertyandeducation.Fromhisexperience,Freirebelievedthateducation holdthebesthopeforthepromotionofsocialjusticeandthetransformationofanunjust society.Implicitinthisstatementisthatpeoplewhoarerichandprivilegedalsouse educationtomaintainanunjuststatusquo(Gadotti&Torres, 2009).

FreireenrolledatLawSchoolattheUniversityofRecifein1943wherehealso studiedphilosophyandthepsychologyoflanguage.Ratherthanacareerinthelaw, however,hechosetobeasecondaryschoolteacherofPortuguese.In1946,Freirewas appointedtobeDirectoroftheDepartmentofEducationandCultureintheBrazilian StateofPernambuco.Heworkedprimarilywiththeilliteratepoor.Freirebeganto

©TheAuthor(s)2023

I.Hidayatietal.(Eds.):ICOPHI2022,AHSR66,pp.51–58,2023.

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developanon-orthodoxphilosophyofeducationandliteracy.Hebelievedthatthepoor cantransformtheirsituationbythinkingcriticallyabouttheirrealityandthentaking action.Freireacknowledgedthattheeducationalsystemplaysanimportantrolein maintainingoppressionandthusithastobereformedtochangethelifeoftheoppressed. Hiseducationalsystemfocusesonthestudents’environment.Heassumedthatthe studentsmustunderstandtheirownrealityaspartoftheirlearningactivityandquestion theirunjustsociety(Bartlett, 2005).

In1964amilitarycouptookovertheBraziliangovernment,andFreirewasarrested. Freirewasaccusedofbeingasubversiveandacommunist.Hewasjailedforseventy daysandthenofferedexileinsteadofcontinuedimprisonment.HemovedfirsttoBolivia andfewmonthslatertoChile,whereheworkedfortheUnitedNations.Inthisperiod, heworkedasaresearcherontheprocessofagrarianreforminChile.ItwasalsoinChile thathewrote Education,thePracticeofFreedom (firstpublished1967)andhismost importantandinfluentialbook, PedagogyoftheOppressed (publishedinPortuguesein 1968).In1969,heworkedasavisitingscholaratHarvardUniversityandthenhemoved toGeneva,SwitzerlandtobecomeaspecialeducationaladvisertotheWorldCongress ofChurches.In1980hereturnedtoBraziltorelearnabouthiscountry.Hejoinedthe Workers’PartyinthecityofSaoPaulo,andactedasasupervisorforitsadultliteracy projectfrom1980to1986.Finally,in1988hebecametheMinisterofEducationforSao Paulo.ThispositionenabledhimtostarteducationalreforminBrazil.Hemadeagreat efforttoimplementhisideas,toreviewthecurriculum,andtoincreasethesalariesof Brazilianeducators(Gadotti&Torres, 2009).

ThisstudyexaminesanumberofmajorthemesfromFreire’sideasabouteducation intheirrelationtothegoaloffosteringsocialjusticeinthecontextsofprivilege.This studyalsoexamineshowcommunitypsychologistscanlearnfromhisideas.

2Methods

Thequalitativemethodusinglibraryresearchwaschosenastheresearchmethodinthis study.ResourcesrelatedtoPauloFreire’sideasofeducationalleadershipandtheresults ofpreviousstudiesrelatedtothecommunitypsychologyleadershipwereanalyzedusing criticaldiscourseanalysis.Theresearcheranalyzedtextsthatdiscussedtheeducational leadershipofPauloFreire.Aftertheanalysiswasdone,theresearchermadeacritical reflectiononthecontributionofPauloFreire’sideastotransformoppressivestructures andtoestablishafoundationforwellnessinthecommunity.

3ResultsandDiscussions

a. Bankingeducationandliberatingeducation

Freire(1970)saysthateducationfortheprivilegedisonlyatransferofinformation.Hecallsthisthebankingeducationwerelearningactuallybecomes,“anactof depositing,inwhichthestudentsarethedepositoriesandtheteacheristhedepositor. Insteadofcommunicatingtheteacherissuescommuniquésandmakesdepositswhich thestudentspatientlyreceive,memorize,andrepeat”(p.72).Freirealsostatesthat knowledgeisagiftgivenbythosewhoconsiderthemselvesknowledgeabletothose

whomtheyconsidertoknownothing.Inthisbankingeducationalsystem,students arenotrequestedtoquestionandevaluatecriticallyabouttheworldinwhichthey live.Studentsaresimplyaskedtorepeatinformationtotheirteacher,whomayhave littleornothingtodowiththeirlives.

Freirebelievesthatbankingeducationallowstheoppressorstosustainthesystem ofoppression.Thissystemdecreasesstudents’creativityanddiscouragesinquiry.In thebankingeducationstudentsmustdepositafragmentedviewofrealitybecause engagementwithlifeisseparatedfromeducation.Studentsalsodonothavethe opportunitytocriticallyquestionandevaluatetheworldinwhichtheylive.Therefore, theydonothaveopportunitytochangetheirownlivesforthebetter(Bartlett, 2005).

Freire(1970)proposesaliberatingeducationasanalternativesystemtobanking education.Hebelievesthatliberatingeducationisaprocessofhumanizingpeople whohavebeenoppressed.Theprocessofhumanizationisconsideredpolitically subversivebecauseitempowerstheoppressedtocriticallyquestionandevaluate theirlivesinsociety.Freirearguesthattheoppressedhasatasktoliberateboth themselvesandtheiroppressors.Theoppressedwillbecomemorefullyhumanifthey arewillingtofightdehumanization.Dehumanizationincludesinjustice,exploitation, oppression,andviolencebytheoppressors.Therefore,thesystemofeducationis vitalinwhethertheoppressedwillbeabletomovetowardhumanityorcontinueto experiencedehumanization.

b. Dialogue

Freirerecommendsdialogueasaveryimportantmethodtofinishdehumanization. Freire(1970)defineddialogueas“theencounterbetweenhumans,mediatedbythe world,inordertonametheworld”(p.88).Inthisdialogue,studentsorparticipants specificallytrytoidentifywhatisoppressiveandhowtheycantakestepstoend thisoppression.Thisdialoguehowevermustbedonecarefully.Freire(1970)argues thatdialogueonlyoccursifthereis“aprofoundlovefortheworldandforpeople… loveisatthesametimethefoundationofdialogueanddialogueitself”(p.89). Thisconceptualizationof“dialogicallove”ischaracterizedbyhumility,faithinthe people,hope,criticalthinking,and,ultimately,solidarity(p.89–91).Freirementions thatdialoguealonewillnothelpparticipantsbecomemorefullyhuman.Dialoguecan becomefruitfulifitiscombinedwithcriticalthinking.Andinturncriticalthinking willbringitselftotransformation(Bingham, 2002).

Freirealsopresentsdialogueasapedagogicalprocess,inwhichteachersand studentsactivelypursuelearningthroughdebateanddiscussionofsociopolitical realities.ForFreirelearningisrelational,andknowledgecanbeproducedininteraction.Freire(1970)says“Knowledgeisnotapieceofdata,somethingimmobilized, concluded,finished,somethingtobetransferredbyonewhoacquiredittoonewho stilldoesnotpossessit”(p.6).Freire(1970)elaboratesonthispoint:

“Icannotthinkauthenticallyunlessothersthink.Icannotthinkforothersorwithoutothers…Knowledgeemergesonlythroughinventionandre-invention,through therestless,impatient,continuing,hopefulinquiry[people]pursueintheworld,with theworld,andwitheachother.”(p.7).

Dialogueallowsindividualstheopportunitytoshareknowledgeinasupportive andconstructiveatmosphere.

c. Criticalthinkingandproblem-posingeducation

Freire(1970)believesthatdialogueandcriticalthinkingor conscientization arecorrelated.Hesays,“Onlydialogue,whichrequirescriticalthinking,isalsocapableof generatingcriticalthinking”(p.92).Tobeabletoconfrontoppression,studentsmust firstbecomecriticalthinkers.Criticalthinkingreferstolearningtoperceivesocial, political,andeconomiccontradictions,andtotakeactionagainsttheoppressiveparts ofreality.Criticalthinkingincludesaprocessofidentifyingwhatisoppressiveand howsomeoneisoppressed.Italsoinvolvestakingactiontoopposethatwhichis perceivedtobeoppressive(Gottesman, 2010).

Freireexplainsthatcriticalthinkingonlyworksinaproblem-posingeducational framework.Inaproblem-posingframework,studentsareaskedtousecriticalthinking skillstoexaminevariousproblemsthatoccurintheirsociety.Criticalthinkingdoesnot workinabankingeducationsystembecausestudentsareprimarilyaskedtomemorize fragmentedfacts.Freire(1970)says“Whereasbankingeducationanesthetizesand inhibitscreativepower,problem-posingeducationinvolvesaconstantunveilingof reality.Theformerattemptstomaintainthesubmersionofconsciousness;thelatter strivesfortheemergenceofconsciousnessandcriticalinterventioninreality”(p.81). Freirebelievesthataproblem-posingframeworkwillnotonlyallowstudentsto becomecriticalthinkers,butrevealthattheworldisconstantlytransformed.

d. Praxis

Whenstudentshavebecomecriticalthinkers,theywillbeabletostartaprocess thatleadstotheirhumanization.Freire(1970)callsthisprocess praxis.Hedefines praxisas“reflectionandactionupontheworldinordertotransformit”(p.51). Thisprocessincludescontinuousreflectionandevaluation.Inthereflectionprocess studentswillidentifyanactionandtrytocarryitout.Freirebelievesthatreflection andactionareconnected.Hesaysthatreflectionwithoutactionisonlyverbalismand actionwithoutreflectionisonlyactivism.Freiretriestohighlightthatpeoplecannot actwithoutthinkingandreflectionwithoutactionwillnotchangereality(Gottesman, 2010).

Freire(1970)seekstoreconciletheteacher-studentcontradictiontoestablisha liberationeducation.Hereasons,“Educationmustbeginwiththesolutionofthe teacherstudentcontradiction,byreconcilingthepolesofthecontradictionsothat botharesimultaneouslyteachersandstudents”(p.72).Freirebelievesthatthecore ofaneducationistheideathatteachersarealsostudentsandstudentsarealsoteachers. Hethinksthatbankingeducationmaintainsthiscontradictionthroughanumberof practicesandattitudesthatoppresssociety,forexample:theteacherteachesand studentsaretaught,andtheteacherknowseverythingandthestudentsknownothing (Gadotti&Torres, 2009).

Freiresaysthattheteachers-studentsandthestudents-teachersneedtocollaborate torecognizeandidentifythethemestoformtheprogramcontentofeducationtobe applicableandimportant(Gadotti&Torres, 2009).Freire(1970)arguesthatthe programcontentofeducation“mustbethepresent,existential,concretesituation, reflectingtheaspirationsofthepeople”(p.95).Inthisviewofeducation,program contentmustbeexamineddialogicallywiththepeople.Freire(1970)saysthatthe

peoplefeellike“mastersoftheirthinkingbydiscussingthethinkingandviewsof theworldexplicitlyorimplicitlymanifestintheirownsuggestionsandthoseoftheir comrades”(p.124).

e. Solidaritywiththeoppressed

Freire(1970)stressestheimportanceofaneducatortostandatthesideofthe oppressedinsolidarity.Hewrites“solidarityrequiresthatoneenterintothesituationofthosewithwhomoneissolidary;itisaradicalposture”(p.49).Heargues that“solidarityisbornonlywhentheleaderswitnesstoitbytheirhumble,loving, andcourageousencounterwiththepeople”(p.129).Inotherwords,Freireargues thataneducatorcannottelltheoppressedwhattheyneedandhowtofightoppression,butmustenterthesituationaspartnersinthestruggle.Educatorsmustbeable toestablishcommunionandrelationshipwiththepeopleandstandatthesideofthe oppressed.Thismaybeoneofthemostimportantpartsofaneducationbasedon Freiranthought:withoutsolidarity,reflection,andactiontheoppressedcannotbegin toopposetheirdehumanization(Bartlett, 2005).

f. CommunitypsychologyleadershipinformedbyFreire

Freire’spedagogyoftheoppressedisnotonlyrelatedtoschoolsettings.ForFreire, educationmovesbeyondthenotionofschooling.Schoolisoneimportantplacewhere educationtakesplace,wheremenandwomenbothproduceandaretheproductof pedagogicalrelations.Therefore,Freire’spedagogyoftheoppressedcanalsoworkin othersettings(e.g.,neighborhood,churchcommunity,communitycenters,etc.)and canbemanifestedatthehandsofactivists,organizers,andcommunitypsychologists whohaveawarenessandfaithintheircommunities(Wood, 1994).

Freiresuggestscommunitypsychologistswhowanttoleadasocialchangemust firstgotothepeoplehumbly,openly,andreadytolistentotheirideas.Freire(1998) argues,“Inessence,thecorrectpostureofonewhodoesnotconsiderhim-orherself tobethesolepossessorofthetruthorthepassiveobjectofideologyorgossipis theattitudeofpermanentopenness”(p.119).Inrelationtothishumbleopennessto learnfromthepeople,Freireemphasizestheimportanceofdialogue.Inthisdialogue communitypsychologistsmusthaveintensefaithorfundamentalconfidenceinthe capabilitiesofallpeopletorecognizeandidentifytheirrealitiesandtotransform them,forthosewhohaveexperiencedtheimpactofoppressivestructuresandhave beenworkingfortheimprovementoftheirsociety.Freire(1970)explainsthat“faith inpeopleisarequirementfordialogue;thedialogicalpersonbelievesinotherseven beforehemeetsthemfacetoface”(p.91).Theabsenceofthisfaithgeneratesa conditionofdependencethatisoftencreatedwhencommunitypsychologistsdonot engagecommunitycapabilities(Mayo, 2007).Freire(1973)describes:

“Ifasocialworker(inthebroadestsense)supposesthatshe/heistheagentof change,itiswithdifficultythatshe/hewillseetheobviousfactthat,ifthetaskistobe reallyeducationalandliberating,thosewithwhomshe/heworkscannotbetheobjects ofheractions.Rather,theytoowillbeagentsofchange.Ifsocialworkerscannot perceivethis,theywillsucceedonlyinmanipulating,steeringanddomesticating.If ontheotherhandtheyrecognizeothers,aswellasthemselves,asagentsofchange, theywillceasetohavetheexclusivetitleoftheagentofchange.”(p.116).

Thus,withintensefaithinthepeople’scapabilities,dialoguecentersthecontextualexpertiseofthepeopleasadvocatesforsocialtransformation.Thepeopleare uniquelyexperiencedandstrategicallypositionedtoinitiatesocialchangedirected athumanization(Milleretal., 2011).

Freireinsertstheawarenessandrecognitionofhistoryintohisideaonsocialconstruction.Hearguesthathumbleandfaith-filledtransformativeactiononlyriseswhen communitypsychologistsandthepeoplecontextualizetheireffortsinthecomplex paststhatcharacterizetheircommunities’dauntingpresents.Hefurtherdescribes socialandindividualidentitiesasbeingdependentonpastexperiences(Milleretal., 2011).Freire(1973)saysthat“humanbeingsarenotjustwhattheyare,butalsowhat theywere”(p.133).Therefore,communitypsychologistscanonlygotothepeople andworkwiththepeoplewhentheyknowtherichexperiencesofthepeople’slives thatareunfoldedintime.

CommunitypsychologistsmustunderstandFreire’sideaofcriticalthinkingor conscientization Criticalthinkinginvolvesthecriticalconsciousnessofthepeople sothattheybecomemoreawareofthesystemsandstructuresthathaveaffectedtheir lives.Bybeingawareofsuchconditions,peoplewillunderstandthattheirdifficulties arenotsimplyoftheirownchoice,butaresignificantlyinfluencedbyunjustpolicies, norms,andtraditions(Milleretal., 2011).Freire(1992)writes:

“Amorecriticalunderstandingofthesituationofoppressiondoesnotyetliberate theoppressed.Buttherevelationisastepintherightdirection.Nowthepersonwho hasthisnewunderstandingcanengageinapoliticalstruggleforthetransformation oftheconcreteconditionsinwhichtheoppressionprevails.”(pp.30–31).

However,criticalthinkingalonewillneverleadpeopletoactiontotakecontrol ofthingswhichdeterminetheirlives.Zimmerman(2000)saysthattheprocessof empowermentoccursinarelationshipwithothers.Therefore,communitypsychologistsandtheoppressedmustconsidertheimportanceofthesenseofcollective efficacyforconstructivechanges.Iftheyhavethissense,theywillhaveastronger senseofcommunityandwillbeabletoestablishafoundationforwellnessintheir community.

Finally,thesuccessofdialoguedependsoncommunitypsychologists’solidarity withthepeople.Byjoininginunionwiththepeople,communitypsychologistscan avoidpaternalisticeffortstotelltheoppressedwhattheyneedhowtofightoppression. Freire(1970)says,“Solidarityisbornonlywhentheleaderswitnesstoitbytheir humble,loving,andcourageousencounterwiththepeople(p.129).Thissolidarityis cementedinrecognitionthatcommunitypsychologistsandthepeopleareimmersed insystemsofoppressionthatdehumanizeboththeoppressedandtheiroppressors andthathumanizationcanonlybefulfilledthroughdialogue(Milleretal., 2011).

4Conclusion

Freireandialoguerepresentsacontributiontotheleadershipconversationinitsportrayal ofdialogueasadialecticrelationshipbetweentheoppressedandtheoppressors.Itdepicts communitypsychologistsasbeingengagedinpeople’sdifficulties.Theirsolidarityis cementedbysharingacommonfate-onegroup’shumanizationisinfluencedand,in turn,followedbytheothers.Thisviewcountersideasofeducationalleadershipwhich

askaleadertoempowerothers.Theeducationalleadershipemphasizesfacilitativeand collaborativeleadershipwhichassumesthatpowerissomethingthatleaderssharewith others.

Freireandialoguealsodiscussestheimportanceroleoflove,humility,faith,and solidarity.Freire(1998)saysthatwithoutthesecharacteristics,progressivepedagogical practiceisnotpossible.Hewrites,“Progressivepedagogicalpracticeispossibleifthere arecertainvirtues,suchasagenerouslovingheart,tolerance,humility,loveoflife,a dispositiontowelcomechange,perseveranceinthestruggle,arefusalofdeterminism, andopennesstojustice”(p.108).Progressiveleadershippracticealsodependsonlove, humility,solidarity,andthelike.

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